Don’t expect Titans to use tag

NFL teams can begin using franchise and transition tags on Monday, but indications are the Titans have no plans to do so.

Teams have a two-week window to use the tags, based on the average salaries of the top players at their respective positions.

So why not use the franchise tag on cornerback Alterraun Verner? It would cost the Titans roughly $11.2 million, and that’s a hefty price tag on a one-year deal, especially since the Titans are paying Jason McCourty an average of $8.608 million per year.

It doesn’t make sense to use the tag on safety Bernard Pollard, another player scheduled to become a free agent. Pollard provided a big boost in 2013, but the franchise tag for a safety is expected to be over $8 million. That’s too much after the Titans paid him just $2 million on a one-year deal last fall.

The Titans would like to re-sign both players, but things could be tricky.

Verner, coming off a Pro Bowl season, is expected to command big money in the open market. The bet here is the Titans let hit test the market in free agency to gauge his real value. If he gets offered big money elsewhere, he’s likely gone.

While the Titans would like Pollard back, he’d probably like more than a one-year deal this time around. Would another team be willing to make him that offer?